Surgeon sued by UnitedHealth over social media post says she’s nearly bankrupt

A surgeon being sued by UnitedHealth Group over a social media post said the dispute with the insurer has left her $5 million in debt and on the verge of bankruptcy—but she still refuses to change her story.

According to plastic surgeon Elisabeth Potter, MD, she was midway through a breast reconstruction procedure when a phone call from the insurance giant took her away from her patient. Potter said a representative then told her—as the surgery was happening—that it would not be fully covered by the patient’s health plan. 

She said she had to field a series of questions about why a hospital stay was necessary for the patient to recover. The surgery itself, the representative agreed, was covered.

Potter admits she made the decision to leave the operating room to take the phone call—something UnitedHealth said they never would ask a physician to do. But the doctor said she was worried about reimbursement.

She posted about the incident in a social media video, which led to the insurer filing a defamation lawsuit through a high-profile law firm that specializes in such cases.

Potter has refused to backtrack on her story, and through her attorney, vowed to fight UnitedHealth in court. However, in what she describes as an act of retaliation, the insurance giant is no longer listing her clinic—RedBud Surgery Center in Austin, Texas—as part of its provider networks, meaning patients covered by UnitedHealth plans are choosing to avoid it. 

Notably, Potter remains an in-network physician for any surgeries she performs in hospitals—but her business is not so lucky. She said losing in-network status will eventually force her to close her clinic, as alternative insurers are unable to make up for the loss in revenue.

She said her husband had to pull money from his retirement account to keep the family afloat. 

For more, read the full story from NBC News at the link below.